Selected quad for the lemma: honour_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
honour_n	doctrine_n	double_a	elder_n	1,742	5	9.4785	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45082	Of government and obedience as they stand directed and determined by Scripture and reason four books / by John Hall of Richmond.	Hall, John, of Richmond.	1654 (1654)	Wing H360; ESTC R8178	623,219	532

weakness of the instruments and means to bring that Church to its flourishing pitch and condition the mean estate of the Churches owne officer did redound to the undeniable glory of that God who did so manifestly appear in their assistance So that Gods dealing in matters of Government between the Jewish and Christian Church seems in every respect alike save that with the Jews the Ministery of Eldership went by birth according to the course of nature but here by election of the members of the Church For they being the adopted sons of God through Christ the particular Priests and Fathers that were to govern in this Church were to be at this Churches election and choice also or rather of its representative head Christs deputy For so are we to understand Saint Pauls words to Titus For this cause left I thee Crete that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting and ordain Elders in every City as I had appointed thee And those Epistles to Timothy and Tytus men that by Saint Paul had been put into authority will plainly declare that as themselves so others had also different power one over another as in relation to the Churches government The office and power of this Elder was in it self distinct from that of the preacher as was formerly that of the Father of the Tribe from that of the Priest although for sometime added and involved under the notion of Presbyter in the same person that primarily had his authority for instruction sake even as before the priesthood was divided it was by patriarchal right executed by the same father of the family So that now these Presbyters having during the time Magistrates were not Christian power of civil judicature in what concerned men estates as well as of external duties concerning them as Christians it came to pass where they might exercise this their rightful jurisdiction Brother was not to go to law with Brother before the unbelievers And when we find those eminent persons called Apostles directing in matters of external obedience they do it as Elders or Fathers which power and office was unto them annexed as in right of their offices as heads of Churches for so saith Saint Peter he was also an Elder And again many of these Elders did labour in the word and doctrine and were therefore more especially worthy of the double honour which was due unto an Elder that ruled well But then as the Apostles had in themselves as Christs deputies this union of jurisdiction and power both for preaching and ruling although in the last sort the present power of Heathen Magistrates did almost wholly restrain them so they did also often dispence unto the same persons the same joynt jurisdiction in both sorts also and that in regard of the paucity of eminent and able persons to undertake them singly Upon which reason we come in these dayes to be so much puzled to distinguish these primitive officers by their names and titles finding them promiscuoisly in the Scripture set down as sometime making Apostle and Elder to signifie the same sometime Apostle and Deacons and sometimes again we finde the calling of the Evangelist mingled with that of the Deacon The which obscurity was also occasined in that these Apostles and higher Officers were for want of Ministers under them forced many times to act in those more subordinate imployments and sometimes also those at first put into lower stations did perform what did belong to functions above them Which being by some now adayes not well considered or being careless and ignorant of the originals of names and their true derivation they would appropriate the notion of Elder or Presbyter to the Lay ruler onely and wholly abandon the English word Priest derived as we said from Presbyter as implying sacrifice and because we have no English word derived from Sacerdos which might properly denote a sacrificer therefore this notion of Priest must be laid aside and the word Minister taken in Not duely marking how they thereby fall into that which they would avoid whilst they call those of the Gospel by the legal name For the Hebrew stiles those of the Law Cohanim originally signifiing a Minister and thence comes the Greeek words Coneo and Diaconeo being the same with Minister in Latin and Deacon in English They do also hereby abusively and absurdly put him under his owne congregation and charge as sometimes calling him their Minister no otherwise then as Josuah was called Moses Minister as if the Pastor for so they sometimes rightly enough call him could be called a servant to the sheep but they shall never finde them called Ministers or servants but in relation to God or Christ or the whole Church And they also do hereby confound those Officers they would distinguish For that inferiour Officer by them called a Deacon is by name but the same with Minister whom they would seem to place higher as if by way of tautology they should call them Minister and Minister But be they of what sort they will evident enough it is they were still at the appointment and subordinate to the Apostles or other heads in chief who now as Christs deputies were equally presiding for the guidance and rule of several Churches distinct in authority from one another The which may be concluded as we said from many passages set down in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus who being by Saint Paul put in as Bishops or Overscers over other Pastours are in and by these Epistles taught from him the chief head and for what was not in them taught they were to be guided by Apostolical tradition the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses that is my avowed life and doctrine the same commit thou unto faithful men who shall be able to teach others also Herein are all the several degrees of subordination briefly stated the people are to be Subject and to learn of their owne Pastors and Elders these to be subject to their Bishops and the Bishops to their owne head in chief And by that expression the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses c. we may know how to expound our Saviours restriction given concerning our obedience to them that sit in the seat of authority when he saith but do not as they do meaning that Rulers will sometimes do otherwise then they teach or will publickly avow Now as this greater number of persons in separate jurisdiction was necessitated for want of civil entire power to make any one Churches jurisdiction of large extent so it fitted best that persecuted condition of the Church that is to accommodate them in having of one guide in chief to rule each Church in all their dispersions And as the meanness of these rulers was then best agreeable to that their present condition so was it advantagious also because eminence in authority would have made them as more remarkable so more obnoxious to